Saturday, July 12, 2014

If Anyone Should Apologize It's Not Masahiro Tanaka


If anyone should be apologizing to this team and it's fan base it's definitely not Masahiro Tanaka. Tanaka wen't out every time manager Joe Girardi would give him the ball, battled to be the best, and kept the Yankees in every single game every single time. Tanaka, just to clear things up, apology accepted and we love you and hope you're back in six weeks but you shouldn't be apologizing for anything. If anyone should be apologizing it's Brian Cashman.

I am not one to scream fire Cashman after every bad game, outing, or at bat but it's really time for him to move on. Cashman has done well with what he has had, I'll be the first to admit it, but the rest of the league has caught up with the Yankees and he doesn't seem willing to do anything to change that. if you can't make adjustments in this league then you're destined to fail, ask anyone.

For too many years have we seen Cashman build up prospects simply to trade them and instead restock and retool via free agency. The young top flight players are no longer hitting free agency so now the Yankees are simply handcuffing themselves with long term contracts to players on the wrong side of 30 years old. The Yankees are so swamped with bad contracts they are having to try so many reclamation projects you would think we were in the Independent League.

Four of this season's original starting pitchers are on the DL and we're barely treading water because of a weak division overall. Cashman did not go out and sign the veteran free agents on a minor league deal this season like he did not so long ago when Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia saved our season. Cashman didn't do his job this season and where I come from if you don't do your job you don't have a job.

5 comments:

  1. I can't find an argument for that which you posted Daniel!
    The difference was last year he had players and signed a few others to AAA. This year he was given little amount to spend so he picked up those he could. When he was told to go for it, it was to late.
    As I have said, Cashman may quit, he has got to be very frustrated. The buck has to stop somewhere!

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  2. He had no money, sure. Doesn't cost much to put some AAA starting pitching depth down there

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  3. I made the comment on Twitter, but I think it's time to shake things up for real. I respect Cashman and all he's done, but it's beyond time for the Yankees to make a change.

    It's not about signing big free agents, anymore. The best players just don't reach free agency until they're past their prime anyway. We need new thinking, and that starts at the top.

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  4. I tried to answer you on Twitter and then my lunch break was over and we don't get service inside work and blah blah blah.

    When I said to make some changes I also acknowledged that the Yankees will never go full blown rebuilding mode but it can be done a couple pieces at a time. Notably, Refnsyder, Kyle Roller, and maybe a Jose Pirela or Adonis Garcia.

    You mentioned signing Carlos Beltran types keep the Yankees from doing that but here's my thing. We have Beltran and he log jams us, sure, but we had five outfielders at the beginning of this season. Next season Ichiro is gone and obviously so is Soriano leaving plenty of room for a Adonis Garcia, Pirela, Refsnyder, Almonte, Flores etc. You can still rotate your guys in and out of the outfield and give Beltran plenty of starts at DH to keep him fresh. We won't have Jeter to give half days off to next season at DH.

    Roberts and Kelly Johnson are both free agents at the end of this season and struggling, obviously the latter more than the former. Calling up Roller for KJ gives you a replacement for Johnson, the only reason he is still on the team because he is the closest you have to a legit first baseman backup. Roberts could go to the bench, in fact I prefer it, or be cut and Refsnyder could play second.

    We wouldn't go into total rebuilding mode and probably improve. WORST case scenario is between Solarte, Pirela, Ref, and Roller they hit .200 and we break even with production and add some defense and base running. I also find it hard to believe that Ref and Pirela can't hit .240 ish (stats are blocked at work) with a couple home runs and extra base hits like Roberts.

    This is the perfect, and maybe the only time, the Yankees have to make these changes without going full reload. These guys almost can't get any worse statistically then we're already throwing out there.

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  5. We have been saying that for the last 40 games or so haven't we?
    Did you forget our 3rd baseman will be back and need time at DH along with Tex. But that should be easy enough to get around, by rotating them!
    They should bring Pirela up NOW and cut KJ. Pirela is playing 1st, 2nd, SS and OF hitting .321. Roller is at .270 playing 1st all the time. They have Refsnyder playing the out field and 2nd base hitting .316.
    IF they go after 1 or 2 FA this winter that are under 30, that is alright but any more than that is going to block our young guys...Tulowitzki would be nice! LOL
    As of July 18th we could have one of Roller or Pirela playing 1st. I think it will be Pirela, only because he can play more positions...the caveat is, can he play 1st, well enough? Refsnyder is playing out field and 2nd base...bring him up also. Although I guess we must give Wheeler and Solarte a chance to play before Refsnyder is called into the mix.
    Note; The management likes Roberts, so he will stay...not so much on my watch! Unless they make a block buster trade, stripping our young talent, they could play these guys now?
    Do you know anything of the guy Dugas plays the out field and bats left handed?

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)